Virginia Creeper Trail

By: Debra Mccown | TriCities.com
Published: January 06, 2009

DAMASCUS, Va. – Looking down from the old railroad trestles, the pastures glow almost gold in the late afternoon sun.

The quiet rumble of bicycle tires over the wooden planks is nothing like the steam engines that once traveled here, but the view is peaceful and the sounds of traffic are noticeably absent.

Close to a quarter-million people hike or bike the trail every year, according to business owners and town officials, but sometimes it’s just you and the cows.

“This, for a lot of people, is a wilderness experience,” said Paul Gadola, manager of Adventure Damascus Bicycles, a bike shop and shuttle service in town.

The 34-mile Virginia Creeper Trail takes its name from the railroad that used to run this route, and it gets its fame from the easy, downhill ride with amazing scenery.

Damascus is at the bottom of the trail and close to its halfway point, meaning visitors riding downhill from either direction – from Abingdon or Whitetop – finish their ride here.

From Whitetop, the 17-mile route creeps down the mountainside; from Abingdon, the 15-mile route begins in town and traverses scenic farmland.

More than half a dozen shuttle services exist to take people to the top of the trail on either end so they can take the leisurely downhill ride, and the cost of shuttle service and bike rental for a day is typically under $25 per person.

“You have no other way in there other than the railroad,” said Tom Blevins, a local railroad historian who grew up outside the community of Whitetop. “There’s no road that parallels it; that’s it. You can believe that you’re in the absolute heart of the wilderness, rugged mountains, just beautiful scenery.”

In the early 20th century, the railroad brought prosperity in the form of jobs and industry to these remote communities along the tracks; today the railbed brings prosperity to the area through tourism.

Some people who live near the trail walk it regularly. Many visitors come from North Carolina; some come from the other side of the world.

“Last year we had seven different groups from Japan come here to ride the Virginia Creeper Trail,” said Bill Leonard, vice president and founder of Adventure Damascus and Sun Dog Outfitters.

The trail is open to walking, bicycling, dogs and horseback riding. No motorized vehicles are allowed.

“And the Creeper, if you’re like, me, it’s all downhill if you’re coming from Whitetop, so even if you’re not in shape and you can’t ride a bicycle, you can still ride the Creeper,” Blevins said.

“You don’t have to be Lance Armstrong or somebody.”

Virginia Creeper Trail

Virginia Creeper Trail (Added: January 06, 2009)

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